Season Plans: 2022-23
- Thread starter Tony Crocker
- Start date
Patrick
Active member
Yes, used them for the 1st time out of Calgary for my late Nov/early December trip thru the Canadian Rockies. I definitely wanted a car with winter tires and I definitely needed it with the snow that fell on that trip.
How did you find the process?
I've booked one for our April trip to Oregon. A Subaru wagon that will be nearly 3 years old. Great reviews about the owner. About half price of a inferior type vehicle through the car rental companies.
Patrick
Active member
Mind you I have only experience Turo's once. I guess it could vary greatly like various AirBnB experiences.
My experience and process was pretty simple. I called him when I landed and he picked up in the car at the Calgary Airport Terminal. He drove me to a mall where he explained the car and gave me the keys then I drove off. I gave him an approximate time I would return the car and meet him at the same mall. He gave me a ride to the Airport hotel where I was staying prior to my crazy early flight the next day.
Thanks.
I have only had great experiences with Airbnb so far. I'll hope for the best.
Now that Japan is open I'm really tempted to book a relatively short trip at the end of February. Being the same time zone as Brisbane the travel is pretty easy. I believe the crowds have well and truly gone by then. I would think that Hokkaido or the top end of Honshu would be best. I'll do a bit of research.
Anyone else have plans to head to Japan this coming winter?
Anyone else have plans to head to Japan this coming winter?
EMSC
Well-known member
I'll add in some of my plans finally. Lots of Eldora early season (Shocker, I know!). Then mixed in with travel to my son's ski races it looks like some Canuk time.
First at Revy and Mustang Powder in Jan; then again at Fernie/Castle in early March. Probably followed by plenty of races at Loveland in April and Winter Park for spring race camps in May. Unclear if/where we might be for my sons spring break yet.
As to flights - used miles for the Jan one and only had to burn 25K+$50 for direct flights in/out of Calgary. I timed it with plenty to spare getting over Rogers pass both ways for the Mustang trip. Still working on exact timing for the 2nd trip, but looks like maybe 30K miles burned for the next Calgary direct flights in early March.
No Euro-land for me this year.
First at Revy and Mustang Powder in Jan; then again at Fernie/Castle in early March. Probably followed by plenty of races at Loveland in April and Winter Park for spring race camps in May. Unclear if/where we might be for my sons spring break yet.
As to flights - used miles for the Jan one and only had to burn 25K+$50 for direct flights in/out of Calgary. I timed it with plenty to spare getting over Rogers pass both ways for the Mustang trip. Still working on exact timing for the 2nd trip, but looks like maybe 30K miles burned for the next Calgary direct flights in early March.
No Euro-land for me this year.
jamesdeluxe
Administrator
It took longer than usual for me to get motivated this year but I finally booked my late Jan/early Feb trip -- flying into Milan for a visit to the French Hautes-Alpes region: Bardonecchia along the Italian border followed by Serre Chevalier, the Forêt Blanche (Vars/Risoul), Puy Saint Vincent, and a handful of obscure/old-school ski areas in the Queyras region. As you may recall, I was planning to go to that region last season, but due to low-tide cover I redirected to Vorarlberg, Austria.
Without tapping a specific FF-award sale, I did pretty well with nonstop flights: 45K (22K on AA outbound and 23K on United inbound). Also, I got a nice rental car deal: $198 for eight days with pickup in-terminal.
If there are any issues with snow or I simply change my mind, I can call an audible and go to the Maurienne Valley, which is the same drive time from MXP airport.
Without tapping a specific FF-award sale, I did pretty well with nonstop flights: 45K (22K on AA outbound and 23K on United inbound). Also, I got a nice rental car deal: $198 for eight days with pickup in-terminal.
If there are any issues with snow or I simply change my mind, I can call an audible and go to the Maurienne Valley, which is the same drive time from MXP airport.
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q
Member
After much debate after getting work approval I finally made up my mind.
I could either go 3rd March - 3rd April and get best conditions but miss closing weekend, 10th - 10th got me last weekend but much higher airfares or 17th - 17th giving me final weekend but a week where any money saved on airfares would be lost heading to other resorts.
Anyway, decision made I fly to Seattle on Friday March 3rd, night in Des Moines, Parkrun on Saturday morning then head to Philipsburg for a month before heading out on Sunday 2nd April.
I could either go 3rd March - 3rd April and get best conditions but miss closing weekend, 10th - 10th got me last weekend but much higher airfares or 17th - 17th giving me final weekend but a week where any money saved on airfares would be lost heading to other resorts.
Anyway, decision made I fly to Seattle on Friday March 3rd, night in Des Moines, Parkrun on Saturday morning then head to Philipsburg for a month before heading out on Sunday 2nd April.
jamesdeluxe
Administrator
United finally announced a FF-award sale so I hopped on a 30K roundtrip to Geneva during the second week of March -- and with that, my destination trips for the season have been booked.
We got lucky when KLM cancelled the AMS-GVA flight Jan. 22. They are obligated to get us to Geneva when originally scheduled so we are now on a normal one-stop itinerary with 1 hour 40 minutes in CDG. We still have the two stopper on the way home, but that's less critical for luggage.
EMSC
Well-known member
That's still an "Uggh" of an airport to get through though.
jamesdeluxe
Administrator
No question but in the race to the bottom of airports to transfer on international trips, I believe that CDG is better than LHR. Still, I'm reminded of "don't argue with free" (i.e. FF awards) and that we should be grateful to fly around the world basically for no cost other than a few shekels in airport fees.
But last summer we read the stories that my SkyMiles alternative AMS is now no better. At any rate I'm relieved. Earlier on the outbound two stopper, Delta had changed one of the flights, slashing our Seattle layover time to a very nervous 40 minutes.
This too, and they are often not available for a reasonable price vs. cash. I've relaxed my standards in that regard (from ~2 cents/mi to ~1.5) since 2020 in order to get more utilization.
ChrisC
Well-known member
I finally looked closely at current European conditions this weekend (reports, webcams, current slopes open) to decide what to add to my Courmayeur trip. Early ideas.
It looks like Monterosa (Gressoney, Alagna) will get a pass. Snow on the ground, but barely. The pistes are fine - but you are going there for the freeriding. Lots and lots of rocks. And nothing significant in the 10-day forecast.
So looks like I'm heading to the NW side of the French/Swiss Alps.
However, I think I will stop at La Thuile/La Rosiere since they are on the way from Milan. They have a 40" base with 50%+ pistes open and....good snow outlook. Reports say there is little powder competition, so something should linger.
Avoriaz looked well-covered. Might do Flaine, Avoriaz, or Megeve as a base. Perhaps even a stop at Brevent Flegere if conditions are right.
Then move to Scion valley and choose between Gstaad (trees), Crans Montana and Zinal-Grimentz.
I don't obviously have the time to ski all listed - but they are all candidates. I do want to try to stay in 2 places for a couple of nights. Hate moving gear around too much.
Ultimate selections will be based on weather - rain, heavy snow requiring trees, avalanche warnings, current snowpack and surfaces.
I probably will not go back to Verbier, Grands Montets, Vallee Blanche since I have skied them previously.
It looks like Monterosa (Gressoney, Alagna) will get a pass. Snow on the ground, but barely. The pistes are fine - but you are going there for the freeriding. Lots and lots of rocks. And nothing significant in the 10-day forecast.
So looks like I'm heading to the NW side of the French/Swiss Alps.
However, I think I will stop at La Thuile/La Rosiere since they are on the way from Milan. They have a 40" base with 50%+ pistes open and....good snow outlook. Reports say there is little powder competition, so something should linger.
Avoriaz looked well-covered. Might do Flaine, Avoriaz, or Megeve as a base. Perhaps even a stop at Brevent Flegere if conditions are right.
Then move to Scion valley and choose between Gstaad (trees), Crans Montana and Zinal-Grimentz.
I don't obviously have the time to ski all listed - but they are all candidates. I do want to try to stay in 2 places for a couple of nights. Hate moving gear around too much.
Ultimate selections will be based on weather - rain, heavy snow requiring trees, avalanche warnings, current snowpack and surfaces.
I probably will not go back to Verbier, Grands Montets, Vallee Blanche since I have skied them previously.
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jamesdeluxe
Administrator
A few years ago, I put Gstaad on the table for that reason and Tony pooh-poohed it for snow preservation concerns.
ChrisC
Well-known member
I think mid-winter you would be fine. Gstaad closed low and south-facing areas.
Only its north-facing resorts are open now. And I think the piste have a high degree of snowmaking with grassy subsurfaces.
I looked last year and the Gstaad complex was nearly 100% open in January on maybe a 80-100cm base.
Anyways seems like a good storm day/bad visibility place.
Only its north-facing resorts are open now. And I think the piste have a high degree of snowmaking with grassy subsurfaces.
I looked last year and the Gstaad complex was nearly 100% open in January on maybe a 80-100cm base.
Anyways seems like a good storm day/bad visibility place.
When is ChrisC's Courmayeur trip? I would have assumed at least a month from now. You have to be really lucky to get ChrisC's standard of off-piste skiing before then. Per Fraser and WePowder current snowpack is below average and the rest of December doesn't look that promising.
That said, on these late January trips, I'd always be on the lookout for low altitude places that currently have good conditions. But I'd never commit to them much in advance. Gstaad's region is between our gateway airport Geneva and the Jungfrau, possibly largest ski region in the Alps we have not skied, so maybe we get there this January if conditions are right.
I got that opinion from Fraser, who told me Gstaad and Megeve were the two most overrated ski areas in the Alps, due to the predominant low altitude and bad snow preservation.A few years ago, I put Gstaad on the table for that reason and Tony pooh-poohed it for snow preservation concerns.
That said, on these late January trips, I'd always be on the lookout for low altitude places that currently have good conditions. But I'd never commit to them much in advance. Gstaad's region is between our gateway airport Geneva and the Jungfrau, possibly largest ski region in the Alps we have not skied, so maybe we get there this January if conditions are right.
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ChrisC
Well-known member
I think our dates overlap: late January to early February. It's a month out. So it's too early to be putting much thought into much now.
Thought things were about average in the Alps so far. And some decent things to come. As long as things keep coming along.
Also, Milan to the high resorts of Val Thorens or Val d'Isere is about 5 hours
Wepowder and OpenSnow currently expect a warm storm over next 6 days:
Thought things were about average in the Alps so far. And some decent things to come. As long as things keep coming along.
Also, Milan to the high resorts of Val Thorens or Val d'Isere is about 5 hours
I would agree with that statement. Their reputations precede the actual skiing. Although I thought Megeve is the best storm day skiing in the Chamonix region vs. Les Houches.
Wepowder and OpenSnow currently expect a warm storm over next 6 days: